Navy museum’s plans to make Hartlepool tourist attraction a must-see

Mark Payne

The prestigious new managers of Hartlepool’s top tourist attractions have set out their plans for attracting more tourists to town.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) became the single site operator for Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience in an agreement with Hartlepool Borough Council this month.

Benefits will pay great dividends for Hartlepool and its economy

National Museum of the Royal Navy

The museum says in the short term it will focussing on refreshing the site and adding more daily events.

In the longer term it aims to use its experience in securing investment to make it one of the North East’s must see tourist destinations.

Professor Dominic Tweddle, director general of The NMRN, said: “We are incredibly excited and proud to have achieved this transfer and look forward to working with our partners in bringing a tangible boost to Hartlepool.

“The benefits from being part of a national museum with assets such as HMS Victory will pay great dividends for Hartlepool and its economy.”

The Navy museum says its marketing muscle will help to reach a much wider audience with plans to bring large exhibits such as aircraft and guns from its other museums.

Mr Tweddle added: “We will draw on the area’s rich naval tradition and tell the broad Royal Navy story enriching it with some of our big objects such as aircraft and guns from our museums.

“A temporary exhibition programme complemented by events and a strong corporate offer will mean that visitors have many reasons to visit and revisit.”

The National Museum has raised over £100 million for major capital and conservation projects and visitor numbers have grown from 325,000 to over one million year.

Council leader Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher said: “We are very proud to welcome the National Museum of the Royal Navy to Hartlepool and we look forward to a long and exciting partnership with it.

“Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience already has a well-earned reputation as a superb visitor attraction and in its new incarnation as the National Museum of the Royal Navy Hartlepool, it is set for even greater things in the future under the banner of, and with major investment from, one of our finest national museums.”

People can get a taste of what is to come on Saturday, June 18, from noon to 5pm with a host of family fun activities including children’s TV presenters Andy Day and Nicola Wood the star guests.